Solid oxide fuel cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016344045-A1
Application number	US-201615156334-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 17, 2016
Priority date	May 22, 2015
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A solid oxide fuel cell system includes a solid oxide fuel cell that produces electricity by using a hydrogen-containing gas and an oxidant gas, an exhaust-gas path via which an exhaust gas discharged from the solid oxide fuel cell flows, a circulation path via which a coolant circulates, a first heat exchanger that is disposed on the exhaust-gas path and the circulation path and enables heat exchange between the exhaust gas and the coolant, a second path, via which condensed water produced when the exhaust gas is cooled in the first heat exchanger flows, that branches from the exhaust-gas path and is connected to the circulation path, a second tank that stores reservoir water, and a second heat exchanger that is disposed in the second tank and on the circulation path and enables heat exchange between the reservoir water and the coolant.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A solid oxide fuel cell system comprising:
a solid oxide fuel cell that produces electricity by using a hydrogen-containing gas and an oxidant gas; an exhaust-gas path via which an exhaust gas discharged from the solid oxide fuel cell flows; a circulation path via which a coolant circulates; a first heat exchanger that is disposed on the exhaust-gas path and the circulation path and enables heat exchange between the exhaust gas and the coolant; a first tank that is disposed on the circulation path and stores, as the coolant, condensed water produced when the exhaust gas is cooled by the coolant in the first heat exchanger; and a second heat exchanger that is disposed so as to enable heat exchange between the coolant and reservoir water.

2 . The solid oxide fuel cell system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a reformer that produces the hydrogen-containing gas by using a source and reforming water; and a first path via which the coolant flows, as the reforming water, into the reformer, the first path branching from the circulation path at a junction.

3 . The solid oxide fuel cell system according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a first pump that is disposed on the circulation path and circulates the coolant; and a second pump that is disposed on the first path and adjusts a flow rate of the reforming water to cause the reforming water to flow into the reformer.

4 . The solid oxide fuel cell system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the junction is situated on the circulation path at a location upstream of the first heat exchanger and downstream of the second heat exchanger.

5 . The solid oxide fuel cell system according to claim 4 ,
wherein the first heat exchanger, the first tank, the second heat exchanger, and the junction are arranged in this order along the circulation path, and wherein the coolant is caused to circulate through the first heat exchanger, the first tank, the second heat exchanger, and the junction in this order with a pump.

6 . The solid oxide fuel cell system according to claim 2 ,
wherein an ion-exchange resin filter that deionizes the coolant is disposed on the circulation path at a location upstream of the junction and downstream of the second heat exchanger.

7 . The solid oxide fuel cell system according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a bypass path whose upstream end is connected to the circulation path at a location upstream of the ion-exchange resin filter and whose downstream end is connected to the circulation path at a location downstream of the junction.

8 . The solid oxide fuel cell system according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a second tank that stores the reservoir water, wherein the second heat exchanger is disposed in the second tank so as to enable heat exchange between the coolant and the reservoir water stored in the second tank.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ishino Hisanori
• Tamura Yoshio
• Yukimasa Akinori
• Morita Junji

Classifications

• H01M8/04029

  Heat exchange using liquids · CPC title

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/04067 Primary

  Heat exchange or temperature measuring elements, thermal insulation, e.g. heat pipes, heat pumps, fins · CPC title

• H01M8/1231

  with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised · CPC title

• H01M8/0618

  Reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming · CPC title